Mind Games
by Darkgenius3
Summary: What would happen if a power hungry magician and an evil afrit decided to share a mind? After Ptolemy's Gate, where Nathaniel lives. Kitty's gone missing, and it's up to Nathaniel and Bartimaeus to save her and stop a new enemy, discovering something about themselves and their relationship along the way.
1. Saved

**Bartimaeus**

Nouda came ever closer, jaws wide. The staff was in our hands, ready to explode. Only my considerable power held it in check. Underneath it all, Nathaniel muttered the words to the dismissal. I couldn't let him do this. I couldn't save Ptolemy, but I might be able to save him. _No._ I forced him to close his mouth, cutting him off.

 _Both of us don't have to die. Let me finish._

 _Neither of us have to._ With all of our remaining strength, I hurled the staff at the fast approaching monster. It flew right into his mouth. I tapped our heel, activating the seven league boots, and turned and ran. The shock wave, along with a good deal of glass and iron, lifted us up, slamming us against a wall. Our vision decaying at the edges, I lifted a shield, protecting us from the worst of it. Then everything dissolved into darkness.

 **Nathaniel**

He woke up, squinting against the bright light. As he became more awake, he realized he was in a hospital bed, an IV hooked in his arm. _Where am I?_

 _A hospital. A commoner found us after we passed out and brought us here. We very nearly died._

 _Bartimaeus?_

 _Who else, Natty boy? Forget that you're not alone in your head?_

 _You saved me._

 _Damn right._

 _Thank you._ Nathaniel felt a flash of surprise from Bartimaeus travel across his mind.

 _You mean it._ It wasn't a question. Bartimaeus knew.

 _Yes. You could have been dismissed. You didn't have to risk your own life for me._

He felt a sigh. _Are you complaining?"_

 _No._ A thought flitted across Bartimaeus's mind, something that made Nathaniel pause in shock. _What was that?_

The thought immediately disappeared. _What are you talking about?_

 _What you were just thinking about. That emotion. What was it?_

 _Don't know what you mean._

 _Yes, you do._

 _No._

 _Yes._

 _No._

They were startled out of their silent argument when Kitty burst through the hospital room door, panting slightly. "Nathaniel!"

Nathaniel felt a surge of affection for her, which he felt repeated by Bartimaeus. Kitty ran over and hugged him gently. The lines on her face had begun to fade, and her brown eyes were as sharp as ever. "Oh my God, Nathaniel. What were you thinking? I was so worried, they took forever to ID you and we didn't know for days whether you were alive or dead somewhere..."

"I'm here too." His mouth said, Bartimaeus bubbling up.

Kitty peered at his face, like if she looked hard enough she would glimpse the djinni within. "Bartimeaus?"

"In the flesh, unfortunately."

"I can dismiss you, if you'd like." Nathaniel offered.

"Please." Nathaniel began the words, still wondering at that brief flash of thought, emotion really, that he had felt from Bartimaeus. It was impossible to interpret. He finished, and the other presence was immediately lifted from his mind.

"Is he gone?" Kitty asked, sitting next to him on the cot.

"Yes."

"How did you two survive? What happened?"

"Nouda was coming towards us. Bartimaeus was barely holding the staff's power in check. I was going to dismiss it, but it stopped me. Bartimaeus threw the staff into Nouda's mouth, activated the seven league boots, and ran. It saved me.

Kitty examined him critically. "You owe him an awful lot."

"I know. Also, you know Bartimaeus isn't really a he, right? It could choose to be either."

"I know, but it sounds so wrong to call him it. He's a person. Not a human person, but a person."

"Whatever you say, Kitty." Nathaniel privately agreed, even though it went against everything his masters had taught him. Every spirit had their own unique personality, their own likes and dislikes. His masters had taught him that spirits were forever waiting for an opportunity to kill their master and wreak havoc, but Bartimaeus had been in his head. He could have taken complete control, but instead chose to share, going as far as saving Nathaniel's life at great personal risk. Again, he thought of that brief surge of emotion, so quickly hidden. Nathaniel could not place what it had been.

She hugged him again. "I'm glad you're safe." He returned the embrace.

"So what's been going on?"

She pulled back, and drew up a chair. "Farrar's disappeared, along with most of the Night Police. There's talk about forming a police force of commoners." Nathaniel felt mixed emotions at that news. He had once had a crush on Jane Farrar, but no longer. "I've been asked to be a part of the council."

"And?"

"I declined. I want to travel, see the world."

Nathaniel nodded. A job catering to people higher ranked than her would not suit Kitty well. He had visions of screaming fights and incense candles being thrown at peoples heads over matters of unfairness. He didn't know who would break first, Kitty or the other members of the council. "Good for you."

"And you?" What will you do, John Mandrake?"

He winced. He knew it was necessary to keep his birth name under wraps, but he would be glad if he never heard the name John Mandrake again. John Mandrake was a cruel, officious, overly ambitious beast of a man. He had hurt Bartimaeus, Kitty, and countless others. Nathaniel refused become him ever again. "I'll take a spot in parliament. The magicians who are left need all the help they can get. I doubt most of them can summon a foliot. Who knows, maybe I can do some good." Kitty smiled.

 **Kitty**

After awhile, Nathaniel fell asleep. She went down to the hospital cafeteria and bought two blueberry muffins, one for Nathaniel and one for her. She sat near the fountain, eating her muffin, people-watching. The hospital was crowded from the attacks, and worried friends, family members, and assorted doctors and nurses trekked past. She watched as a snarling wolf was hauled in, chained and muzzled, a long cut running from shoulder to hindquarters. A member of the Night Police, crazy with pain. She shivered. She had been almost killed by the werewolves on more than one occasion.

Later, she took the elevator back to Nat's room and said her goodbyes, dropping off his muffin. She began the walk home, stepping over rubble that still littered the streets. Even this late, workmen still hauled pulverized bits of stone and brick, restoring walls and windows. She entered a quieter part of the neighbourhood. She gasped and tried to scream as she was tackled into an alley. Hands clamped over her mouth, holding a cloth soaked with something that smelt awful and made her feel woozy. She tried to fight, vision darkening. Finally, she slipped into unconsciousness, her last thoughts swirling around and around, chasing her into sleep. _What's happening? Someone help me._

 **Hey, guys! Not sure if anyone still even reads or writes on this anymore, but I though I'd give it a shot. Please review!**


	2. Drawing

**Bartimaeus**

I had only been in the Other Place for what felt like a few moments when I felt the tug on my essence, pulling me to the human world. No point resisting. I materialized inside the pentacle, choosing to appear as a dandelion yellow dragon, all spiked frills and teeth the size of bananas. I blew fire, which licked against the confines of the chalk. In the pentacle across from me sat Natty boy, legs folded. He looked anxious, deep shadows under his eyes. The dragon glanced around the room. We were in a bedroom. "Bartimaeus." Nathaniel said.

"What do you want? It can't have been more than a few days."

"Two days."

I shifted to Ptolemy's form, mimicking Nathaniel's pose. "And what do you need me for? I've barely recovered from being stuck inside that lump of meat you call a body." Not exactly true. If I was being honest, I liked (or at least didn't hate) existing in this world free of the ache that always came of being in this place too long. It was interesting, too, sharing the mind of a human. Except that last thought that had appeared in my mind, unbidden. Nathaniel hadn't understood it. _I_ hadn't understood it.

"Kitty's missing."

My essence churned. "What?"

"She left the same night you did, and never came back. Her mother says she never reached home."

My essence whirled, faster and faster. "Did she tell you she was meeting anyone, going anywhere?"

Nathaniel put his head in his hands. "No. She said she was heading home, and she'd come and see me the next day. She didn't. Will you help me find her?"

"Of course." I agreed without hesitation. If something had happened to Kitty...

Nathaniel surprised me by standing and stepping out of his pentacle. Was he _that_ distracted? I was now free to do whatever I wanted, including killing him. He faced me, eyes tired. "We need to trust each other."

Ptolemy's form stepped out of the pentacle, and stopped in front of Nathaniel. "Nat, did that blow to your head damage something? What happened to all your master's teachings? Never trust a demon, and all that."

He sat heavily, expression weary. "Fine. Kill me if you'd like."

If any master, except Ptolemy, had done this, I would have devoured them the second they exited the pentacle. But we had shared a mind, a body. He had trusted me with his life before. And there was that emotion. I held out Ptolemy's hand. He took it, looking faintly surprised. I pulled him up, and he stumbled, falling on top of me. I caught him, grabbing his shoulders. Our faces were inches away. I could feel his warm breath on Ptolemy's skin. My essence did a strange flop. His face was slowly turning red, and he refused to meet my eyes. "First day on new legs?"

He shook his head, face bright red. "Just tired." I let go, pulling away.

"Where do we start looking for her?"

"I have no idea."

 **Nathaniel**

It-he turned into a crow. "I'll try the route from her house to the hospital. Maybe I'll find something." Nathaniel nodded, furiously wishing the heat on his cheeks would disappear. When the crow soared out the window, Nathaniel flopped on his bed, picking up a pencil and his sketchbook. He idly flipped through the pages. A very old drawing of Ms. Lutyens, sketches of the Underwood's and his old home, and more recently, pictures of Kitty. Filling the pages between those were drawings upon drawings of Bartimaeus in it's- his various forms. A buffalo wearing spectacles inside a pentacle. A small cat perched on his bookshelf. A cloud of darkness with yellow eyes peering out. A few others, but mostly sketches of Bartimaeus using Ptolemy's form. He had done his best to capture the devilish glint in his eyes, the annoying smirk. He though he had succeeded. For the hundredth time, he wondered why he had bothered. It wasn't as if he cared for the djinni. Besides, such things were outlawed by every magical rule ever created. Such a bond would go against the rules of life itself.

He began to draw, a crow perched on a windowsill, a dark shape thrown into relief by the light. Just a simple drawing. After, he found himself sketching the broad outline of a dragon. He snapped his sketchbook shut and tossed it and the pencil onto a chair. He rolled over, tugging the blankets onto him, and tried to get some sleep.

 **Bartimaeus**

I returned a few hours later, having found nothing. When I flew into the room, Nathaniel was on the bed, dead to the world. I changed into Ptolemy, adopting modern teenager clothes, and sat in a chair, waiting for him to wake up. He looked like he needed the sleep. I pulled out a notebook that had been sitting on the chair, and opened it to a random page. A sketch of Kitty stared back, dark eyes concerned. The background was the magicians hall, and Quentin Makepeace sat on a throne, surrounded by possessed members of parliament. I turned to the next page, and was greeted by the sight of Ptolemy's face. Nathaniel had sketched...me? I flipped through the pages. A few sketches of the Underwoods, one of a lady I didn't recognize, but lots of sketches of me, in my various guises. The boy was a talented artist. My essence did a funny flip flop thing. On the bed, Nathaniel moaned.

"Nouda. No. _No._ Bartimaeus, let me finish. No."

He was having a nightmare. Before I knew what I was doing, I had crawled into bed with him. After a small wrestling match, I had him in my arms. "Bartimaeus..." He said again, eyes still closed.

"Right here, Natty boy."

That somehow got through to his sleeping brain. "Good." He smiled, snuggling into my arms. "Would have missed you."

"What? Why?"

But he had fallen completely asleep again, snoring slightly. I sighed. (Not that I need to breathe. It's a manner of expressing emotions. I swear we've been through this.) If I moved, he would wake up, and all hell would break loose.

I laid next to him for what was probably an hour or so before he started to stir. I jumped off the bed and into an armchair, picking up the sketchbook and thumbing through it again. He sat up, eyes bleary. "Were you just...next to me?"

"Pshh. Dream on, human."

He narrowed his eyes. "Good." My essence flinched. That had hurt, and I didn't quite know why. There had been worst insults, many of them. "Find anything?"

"No. Nothing yet." I said. Nathaniel cursed.

"We need to find her."

"I know." He saw what I was holding, and his blue eyes widened, cheeks flushing.

"Don't open that."

"Too late." I replied, smirking. "Nice doodles. Very artistic, aren't we?" I leaned back in my chair, putting my sneakers on his table. I perused the book, looking at his drawings.

"Put that away." He spluttered.

"Nope." I found the most recent drawing, a crow on a windowsill, about to take flight, and a simple outline of what looked to be a dragon. He had started these while I was gone. He stomped over, and sat across from me. I pushed the notebook over to him along with a pencil. "Show me how you draw."

"What?"

"Come on. Just finish the dragon." I was curious as to how he captured the likeness of things on paper with such life. He looked at me warily before taking the pencil. He finished the dragons jaw, shading the teeth in such a way that it looked as if it would suddenly snap down. He drew a light pattern of scales, moving onto the eyes. Somehow, he managed to capture the gleam of intelligence in the dragons eye. (Of course it was intelligent. It was me.) He drew the frills, then went to the front legs and claws. He slowly worked his way to the back of the dragon, shading and texturing as he went. I was fascinated. He ended with a long forked tail, then drew in the the pentacle and the pattern of the floorboards. He pushed the sketchbook to me.

"Good enough for you?"

A dragon sat in the centre of the pentacle, mouth half open, teeth gleaming. Its tail whipped around, and its nostrils were flared, preparing to breathe fire. It was all on paper. "How do you do this?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "Practice. I...I could teach you, if you'd like." I nodded hesitantly.

A half hour later, and we were sitting at the table, staring at a picture of a small cat, sitting under an overhang, sheltered from the rain that was pouring down in the background. At the top, I reached out and wrote the name Queezle. "Queezle?" Nathaniel asked.

"Another djinni."

"A friend of yours?"

"She was. The golem got her. That was the last time I saw her."

He nodded, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, Bartimaeus."

I blinked in surprise. "Are you?"

He met my eyes. "Yes." I believed him. Nathaniel had made a reappearance, hopefully for good. He studied the drawing. "You're not bad."

"Why, thank you."

 **Kitty**

She woke in the dark, her head pounding. She tried to stand and realized she was tied to a chair. A voice echoed, she forced herself to listen to the words. "Why her?" Then the same voice, apparently talking to itself. "Because she is a close friend of a powerful magician, and had been offered a position on the council. If we want a spy, this is the girl."

"I think we should just eat her and be done with it."

"And that is why we share. Because you have no brains."

"Watch who you're insulting, human."

"You want chaos, revenge on the magicians who enslave you. I want power. It's a win win situation. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

"We share the same body. We cannot scratch each others back."

"Shut up, she's awake."

Footsteps sounded, coming closer. Kitty tugged at the ropes binding her wrists. Another human and spirit, sharing a body? This wasn't good. She had though Nathaniel and Bartimaeus were the only ones who would think of that, but apparently that wasn't true. And their motives didn't sound great, either. Chaos, revenge, power? The footsteps stopped in front of her. "Hello, girl."

"What do you want?" She asked, forcing her voice not to quaver.

"A lot of things. And you're going to help me." The voice chuckled. It sounded like a man, but she couldn't be sure. "I'm tired of waiting. Summon the other." The voice demanded. Summon the other? Kitty pulled harder at her restraints. _No. No no no no no._ The voice began a summoning, and Kitty tried to knock over her chair, certain she was in a pentacle. She had to get out. The voice finished the summoning, and silence fell. Then, she was suddenly no longer alone in her head.


	3. Something's Off

**I'm baaaaccckkk! Sorry for the long wait, y'all!**

Bartimaeus

I stepped back and considered the girl Nathaniel was hugging. It looked like Kitty, on all seven planes. Her aura was bright, but that could be just residue from her time in the Other Place. It sounded like Kitty. It was more or less acting like Kitty. But little thing were just...off. The way she had greeted them. Her explanation of her disappearance. The way she stood, the way she spoke. Just a little off. Nathaniel didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, but I, with my enhanced senses, did. "Where did you go again?"

"To go see Jakob Hyrnek. I missed him."

"Why so suddenly? You told Nathaniel you'd see him tomorrow, and never showed up. Why didn't you call?"

"I didn't think I would be there as long as I was. I'm sorry, Nathaniel." She turned to me. "Don't worry, Bartimaeus. I'm fine." I was not convinced. Something was wrong.

"Kitty, are you sure you're all right?" Nathaniel frowned at me.

She smiled at me, and just for a second, I thought I saw someone that I recognized behind that smile. The moment was gone as quickly as it had begun, though. "Relax, Bartimaeus. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to the Council." _Talk to the council?_ She strode from the room, shutting the door behind her.

I turned to Nathaniel. "Nat, something's wrong."

"What are you talking about?"

"Get past your teenage fascination with her and listen. There's something off about the way she's acting, speaking."

"Whatever, Bartimaeus. And I am _not_ fascinated with her."

"I'm serious, Nathaniel. Something's off."

"Okay. Give me three things that seem off about her. The way she's speaking can be one. Two more."

My essence churned, frustrated. "I'm telling you-"

"Two things." He said, striding from the room. I punched the wall, leaving a sizable dent. Why didn't he believe me?

Nathaniel

Nathaniel heard the djinni hit the wall behind him. Honestly, there was no need for a temper tantrum. If Bartimaeus couldn't give him reasons as to why he was suspicious, then there was no reason to be. The spirit had lived five thousand years, that was bound to make anyone a little paranoid. Kitty was fine, there was no need to worry.

Nathaniel felt something lift him up from behind and slam him into the wall. He slid down, groaning. He had hit the wall on his bad side. Ptolemy's form stood above him, arms crossed, eyes blazing. "Bartimaeus..."

The djinni reached down and lifted him up, pinning him against the wall by his throat. The false boy was very very close, but Nathaniel felt no breath on his face. "I am telling you, there is something wrong."

"And do you have any proof except for a gut feeling?"

Bartimaeus growled. The djinni took his hands off his throat. Nathaniel made to walk away, and Bartimaeus pushed him back, keeping a brown hand on his chest. "Will you please just unclog your ears and listen for once?"

"I am listening. And hearing nothing."

"Do you trust me?" The question caught Nathaniel off guard. Did he trust Bartimaeus? He had walked out of the pentacle yesterday, but he had been fairly certain that Bartimaeus's desire to see Kitty safe would override his desire to kill him slowly. But that hadn't been the only reason. He shoved those thoughts aside.

"Depends on the situation. And how hungry you are."

"Well, I'm asking you to trust me now. _Please._ I'm not that hungry. There's something we don't know about this, Nat."

Nathaniel slowly nodded. The djinni had a point. He thought there was nothing wrong with Kitty, but he had to admit, her behavior had seemed a little strange. He'd be a fool to ignore that and Bartimaeus's advice. "What do you suppose we do about it?"

"Watch her. Carefully."

"Is that all?"

"Yes." They both went quiet, and Nathaniel realized just how close he was to Bartimaeus. His false hand was still on his chest. Nathaniel felt his cheeks reddening, his heart speeding up. _Quit that._ he told himself sternly. His heart didn't listen. Nathaniel slowly reached up and took Bartimaeus's hand off his chest.

"You _were_ next to me. It wasn't part of my dream." Bartimaeus seemed about to answer when Piper walked through a door into the hallway, carrying stacks of paper.

"Mr. Mandrake!" She stopped dead when she saw the two of them, Nathaniel still holding Bartimaeus's wrist. "Um...I can come back later if you're...busy..."

Nathaniel immediately dropped the djinni's hand, his face still feeling as if it was on fire. "That won't be necessary. What is it?"

The secretary's gaze was still jumping from him to Bartimaeus. This could be a problem. There was absolutely nothing going on between them, but it would have certainly looked like something was to Piper. "Ms. Jones has accepted the position on the council."

"Pardon?" Nathaniel asked, certain he had misheard.

"Ms. Jones is now part of the council. She asked me to inform you."

Nathaniel was stunned. He remembered the conversation they had had in the hospital, not a week beforehand. When Kitty had said she was refusing the offer, and wanted to travel instead. What had changed? "Thank you, Piper." He said shakily. Piper left, hefting her pile of papers. Nathaniel slowly turned and looked at Bartimaeus. The djinni looked both concerned and triumphant.

"I told you something was off."


End file.
